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I'm a business builder based in Chicago. Specializing in B2B industries, I constantly look for ways to connect external and internal stakeholders and ideas, and to iterate products and services. I've spent the past decade in leadership positions (Director of Marketing, Strategy, Innovation, Business Development, M&A) managing large P&Ls but have always enjoyed getting my hands on tactical work and staying up to date on best practices in a variety of fields.
Passionate about startups and innovation, I founded my first company at 18, and have since founded, co-founded, advised, served on boards, invested-in, and acquired more technology companies than I can accurately recount. I'm a frequent speaker on all matters innovation and digital transformation, and teach innovation to MBA students.
Passionate about startups and innovation, I founded my first company at 18, and have since founded, co-founded, advised, served on boards, invested-in, and acquired more technology companies than I can accurately recount. I'm a frequent speaker on all matters innovation and digital transformation, and teach innovation to MBA students.
Action-Minded Strategist
In consulting with Proactive WorldWide (2007-2008) and in corporate strategy with Underwriters Laboratories (2008-2012) I led the way to translate market insights and strategy into direct actions, and often took initiative to convert strategic recommendations into implementation.
In the second half of my journey with UL (2012-2019), I actively led in the transformation of the company, as an executive that built the first software business and later the first corporate venture fund in the company's history.
Open Innovation Champion
Having managed direct reports on 3 continents and relocated several times (NY, UK, SF) to lead teams through challenging transformations, I have developed skills to be effective on teams of any seniority and any cultural backgrounds.
Global Leader
Career Highlights
Failing Fast
Taking on various roles (advisor, part time, or full time) for short periods between 2014 and 2019, I have contributed to projects on cybersecurity, p2p insurance, intellectual property, internship marketplaces, and on-demand childcare; selecting a handful to remain engaged with over time.
Solving personal problems or building for the sake of learning, I have started 3 businesses by building MVPs myself, and joined a #500startups accelerator company as first employee to build its commercial processes and deliver revenue in under 8 weeks.
Building Quick
My solo project (Chroma.Club, 2016) successfully broke through the ranks of the subscription box craze and was acquired after just 10 months, while one of my advisee startup (AwesomeBoss, 2015-2017) remains active after a sucessful exit.
Exiting Well
Entrepreneurial Highlights
I love fixing and I love building
I love researching and talking to customers and stakeholders
I love ideating, but only if it leads to creating, and only if it leads to executing
I love learning and I love teaching
I dislike maintaining a status-quo but see it as step one to iterating
I dislike consensus but accept different opinions
Change motivates me, challenges excite me
I love ideating, but only if it leads to creating, and only if it leads to executing
I love learning and I love teaching
I dislike maintaining a status-quo but see it as step one to iterating
I dislike consensus but accept different opinions
Change motivates me, challenges excite me
Beyond experiences and skills, cultural and personality traits are the greatest predictors of success.
Digital Native
A curious experimenter and tinkerer since childhood, I have built scripts, bots, websites, and mobile apps for fun.
Talented Communicator
A lifelong translator, mentor, and educator; I alternate effortlessly between story-telling styles and crisp precise messaging.
Relentless Operator
Driven by a strong action-bias I consistently stretch my responsibilities, help others, and build solutions rather than hide behind imperfect information or role descriptions.
What makes me "me"?
Authentic Leader
I approach every situation with my own moral compass and work to support a more diverse, fairer, and more inclusive world on my teams and beyond.
Biography
80% Execution-driven | 20% Analysis-driven
80% Intrapreneur | 20% Entrepreneur
I have focused my career on innovation and related topics, first as a competitive intelligence professional researching into R&D programs and processes of Fortune 500 companies, then as a strategist to help transform UL, a 100+ year old company from a commodity service to a digital enterprise.
Subsequently, I focused on external innovation and turned $100m of idle balance sheet cash into a string of 6 acquisitions in 3 years. Later, I co-created the UL Ventures fund, focusing on seed and early stage companies, completing 8 venture deals in 2 years, 1 successful exit. I have invested in over 50 unique startups as an angel investor, and coached several dozens via mentorship roles at The Alchemist Accelerator, IE Ventures, and the 500 Startups network.
More recently, my innovation drive has led me to create a dedicated MBA class ("driving innovation in modern organizations" 10-sessions/semester for Business School) and to attend the 500 Startups accelerator program with Tradespace to disrupt the Intellectual Property market. After serving in factional executive roles with companies in fintech (Valutico), prop-tech (Fortices), and private equity (Symphonic), alongside the activity of my consulting practice, Canary.One, I joined CCC Intelligent Solutions' new ventures team in 2021 to bring innovation, strategy, and growth to the newly public company.
My academic track includes Economics and Entrepreneurship via a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University, short programs at Tulane and Yale, and a MBA from IE Business School.
80% Intrapreneur | 20% Entrepreneur
I have focused my career on innovation and related topics, first as a competitive intelligence professional researching into R&D programs and processes of Fortune 500 companies, then as a strategist to help transform UL, a 100+ year old company from a commodity service to a digital enterprise.
Subsequently, I focused on external innovation and turned $100m of idle balance sheet cash into a string of 6 acquisitions in 3 years. Later, I co-created the UL Ventures fund, focusing on seed and early stage companies, completing 8 venture deals in 2 years, 1 successful exit. I have invested in over 50 unique startups as an angel investor, and coached several dozens via mentorship roles at The Alchemist Accelerator, IE Ventures, and the 500 Startups network.
More recently, my innovation drive has led me to create a dedicated MBA class ("driving innovation in modern organizations" 10-sessions/semester for Business School) and to attend the 500 Startups accelerator program with Tradespace to disrupt the Intellectual Property market. After serving in factional executive roles with companies in fintech (Valutico), prop-tech (Fortices), and private equity (Symphonic), alongside the activity of my consulting practice, Canary.One, I joined CCC Intelligent Solutions' new ventures team in 2021 to bring innovation, strategy, and growth to the newly public company.
My academic track includes Economics and Entrepreneurship via a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University, short programs at Tulane and Yale, and a MBA from IE Business School.
In other people's words...
Mike Kmetz
Founder & CEO _ Teton Simulation Software
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Mathieu was the primary contact when UL acquired our company. He had developed a vision that emerged as an entirely new business unit for UL. The Product Supply Chain and Intelligence service that exists today at UL was, in no small part, a result of Mathieu's focus, drive and team building skill.
Mathieu swims in tech and startups, experimenting at every turn, extremely knowledgeable of the latest trends, hits and busts. He's an acute observer, with a broad understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship. He's written several popular stories for my publication, SmartUp.life, on a range of topics, and I've witnessed his growth these past few years, bolstered by hard work and curiosity.
Jon Littman
Author _10 faces of Innovation
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA
Sunny Sang
Business Development Manager at UL EHS Sustainability
Shanghai, China
Shanghai, China
Mathieu was a great leader with many characters and skills I appreciate. He is an excellent professional manager who also has the spirit of entrepreneur. He can always combine strategic vision and execution plan very well. Innovative, visionary, very good at communicating, always treat people with his true heart. As a leader, he can give you clear direction. As a friend, you can always trust him.
Additional references available upon request
mguerville@gmail.com
"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all what the world needs most are dreamers that do."
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Sarah Ban Breathnach
